A New Future
by GalahadsGurl
Summary: Cecily Connolly met a drunk and depressed Michael Vaughn when her husband Nathan and friend, Eric Weiss, dragged him into her life. It's been two years and the reason for his depression is back from the dead. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Alias. Just borrowing them for my own diabolical purposes. I do, however, own Cecily, Nathan, Matthew and Angelo (who will make his appearance later in the story).

Spoilers: This is before the whole Lauren mess. There is only one mention of the woman in this entire thing. I know, I kinda insinuated Nathan where he doesn't belong, but that's okay, because I own him. And it's a beautiful thing like "Artistic Flexibility and License".

Chapter 1

My name is Cecily, Cecily Ann Peters Connolly. Nathaniel Connolly, Nathan for short, was my husband. I had met Nathan when I was a mere child of 16 and he was already 25. He was on assignment from the CIA and technically he was not supposed to do anything more than get the information he needed and head back to Langley in Washington D.C., but we ran into each other, literally. It was love at first sight. We started a relationship, but rarely saw each other. For the whole of my junior year, the only time I saw my boyfriend was because of his "abduction" of me. The only time I saw him during my senior year was when he showed up for graduation and the birth of our son, Matthew. We can't be seen in public together or else there could be problems where he works.

The reason for the difficulty? I was the daughter of the director of a CIA unit in Boston, Massachusetts. And Nathan was undercover trying to infiltrate a huge crime syndicate in the South Pacific. If anyone found out that he was CIA, he would be dead before I could even blink. This made life difficult, of course, but he made up for it by sending me out of the country every few weeks and meeting me in a CIA sanctioned place where we could be relatively alone for a weekend. It wasn't much but for me it was enough.

I had been born in Oregon and had moved to wherever my dad's work had taken him. He had been field rated and I can still remember my mother freaking out every time he had to go out of town on a business trip. It wasn't until later, that I learned my mother knew where my dad worked and worried because he was in danger. However, things finally started to go my mother's way when he was injured and no longer able to apply for field agent status. So he took a desk job, working his way up through the bureaucracy and finally becoming the CIA director in Boston.

Nathan, however, had been born and raised in Madrid, Spain, to an American CIA agent and a Spanish waitress. He had a younger twin brother named Angelo. The two were as thick as thieves. When their father went MIA on a mission, their mother had kept them in Spain, hoping that they would never be able to do what their father had done. But both of the Connolly boys had always been extremely intelligent individuals. They were inventive, creative, and extremely talented in spatial relations problems, plus Nathan's linguistic skills had always been way above par. So the CIA kept track of them, recruiting them into the same business that had taken their father.

I had actually met Nathan once before the meeting we counted as the first. His father had been a dear friend of my father's and we had showed up at his memorial service. I was only 6 at the time, making Nathan and Angelo easily impressionable at 15. Nathan had looked on me as a friend, despite our differences in age, but then they had gone back to Spain and I was quickly forgotten.

Our son, Matthew, 3, was currently living with his grandmother on an estate in the country of Spain, about 50 miles outside of Madrid. I was often on a plane, claiming to my friends that I was going on business trips, moving across Europe to see my son and then to the South Pacific to see my husband.

There are occupational risks however to my husband's job. Nathan had been captured once before, not long after we had met, and he was tortured for several days. They had been trying to get him to confess who he had been working for, but he wouldn't talk. The CIA located him and he was extracted nearly two weeks after his initial disappearance. He told me after he was rescued, that he could handle any kind of torture. But he couldn't stand to have anything happen to me. I was sixteen and a half at the time of this confession.

So it was decided that I would be completely secretive about my relationship with Nathaniel Connolly. It seemed like after Nathan claimed me as his own, everyone had wanted to date me. I went to an elite private school and had one of the highest GPAs in my school. I would turn them all down, knowing that Michael, the only one of my current detail there at the time, would take care of me if anyone got violent. It quickly started going around the school that I thought I was better than everyone else. I spent many nights crying on Michael's shoulder, while Nathan kept a close eye on me through the camera placed in the corner of my room.

There were four men in all on the security detail that the CIA and Nathan had sanctioned for my protection: Andrew Dixon; Michael Vaughn, the head of the detail and the one with me the longest; Derek Alms and last but not least my funny man, Eric Weiss. Michael was the only one that I ever called by his first name, either that or Mike. They wore suits, but I knew that under those suits were invisible shoulder holsters carrying lethal Berettas. Each was very adept with their guns and I always felt safe with them. They were all CIA friends of Nathan's who he had hired off the books to look after me. Nathan, Eric and Michael had gone to college together and they were all the best friends that most people only wished that they had. I had become great friends with them all, especially an emotionally hurting Michael.

I was sitting there in church one day, minding my own business when my whole world went to hell. I was there with my mother and sister, and when chapel session ended I went to YSA, or Young Single Adults, like usual. But this wasn't a usual day. I got up from where I was sitting in the chapel with my mother and those four men moved to follow me. I wasn't scared. I knew they were only there as a precaution. No one knew about my involvement with Nathan, so there was really no reason to worry. But, my husband still insisted on them. According to him, in his line of work, there was always a chance that something could go wrong.

Now I know I mentioned that I said I was attending a Young Single Adult meeting, but that's all part of my cover. Except for my parents, Nathan's mother, Mercedes Connolly, and Angelo, not to mention the four men that follow me everywhere, no one knows that I'm married. Even my two dearest friends in the whole world didn't know. I hated lying to them, but it was the only way to keep me and my husband, as well as our son safe. And I would do anything so long as the two men in my life stay safe. I had just turned 19. I wasn't willing to loose any of them when all I wanted was to be with them always.

Now I know I mentioned that Matthew was 3 and I had met Nathan when I was 16. What does that have to do with anything, you ask? Well, I'll tell you. I've been married to Nathan for nearly a year. I mentioned my abduction at Nathan's hands. That night, Matthew was conceived. I don't regret it, and I know that Nathan doesn't either. But it's still hard to have a normal teenage life when you're trying to hide the fact you're pregnant with the son of an undercover CIA agent from everyone you know and love. They sent me to Spain so that I could have my son and live with him for at least two years without anyone knowing. I had just recently returned from a secured high school in Spain where I was constantly under surveillance. Unfortunately.

I knew something was wrong right away. Michael was fidgeting and I had known Michael since the beginning of my relationship with Nathan. Michael didn't fidget unless there was something very wrong. "What?" I asked, taking my seat next to the window, Dixon and Weiss standing on each side of me.

Michael looked at the rest of my detail. "I've just received a package from Mrs. Peters. And I just received orders from Connolly."

I looked up at my husband's name. "Nathan?" I asked, fearful that he was injured, or worse, captured.

"What orders, Vaughn?" Dixon asked, looking at my security chief fearfully.

"I've been given orders that Querida is to be evacuated immediately."

Weiss and Dixon needed no other prompting. They reached into their suit coats, pulling out two pairs of twin Berettas. Alms took up a position behind me as Michael took my arm to lead me out of the room. I looked up at Michael, frightened by this turn of events. Michael looked so serious and while Michael was always serious, Michael was never this serious unless something had gone terribly wrong. "Mike, what happened? What did Nathan say?" I asked, begging for a reason for my sudden departure.

"He sent an explanation, but you'll have to wait to see it until we're far enough away that you'll be safe."

I nodded, following him to the black, government issued limousine that I was getting sick of. He opened the door, looking around as I slipped into the backseat. Alms slid into the driver's seat, Dixon sitting in the passenger seat with him. Michael climbed in behind me, and Weiss stepped into the car, standing with his head out the skylight to watch for any kind of threat. As soon as the doors were shut and we started to move away, I looked at Michael. "What is going on, Mike? Where's the explanation you said Nathan sent?"

He held out a palm pilot, looking at me sadly. I reached out with shaking hands, taking the palm in my fingers, holding it close to my heart for a moment. Then I looked down at it, turning it on. Nathan's picture was paused on the screen. I took the pencil and pressed the play button on the toolbar off to the side. Nathan's face immediately started to move. "Hello, my love."

My face lit up at his gentle endearment. "I am sorry that I couldn't come to extract you myself, but circumstances arose that I cannot avoid. I've been compromised. And what's worse, so have you. They have discovered that I am married and just as I said once before, the worst torture would be having something happen to you. So I have sent Vaughn instructions to extract you with all speed. I love you and I will see you and our son at the safe house as soon as I can ascertain that it is safe for us. I love you."

My face fell again as I realized that my son and I were in danger. Nathan's marriage to me had been compromised and we were all in danger. They knew he was married, but it was hard to know if they knew he had a son. If they didn't yet, they would soon. This meant that my baby boy would be in danger. I could hardly bear the thought. I gave an involuntary cry, dropping the Palm Pilot to the floor of the limo. Michael knew that I needed comforting and he wrapped his arms around me tightly. "It's okay, Cecily. Everything is going to be okay. I promise. I won't let anything happen to you or Matthew, all right? You have my word."

I looked up at him, the only real friend I had. I mean, Renee and Tony were my best friends, but I was always lying to them. I couldn't be totally honest with them. I was obligated to lie about not going on blind dates or why I had to stay at home from some club or why I couldn't ever leave Michael at home. Everyone thought that Michael was my older brother and the other three were just good friends. I hated lying to everyone, but I didn't have to lie to Mike. He was always there for me and he knew what I was going through. He told me once that he had not been allowed to see the woman he loved in public either, but in the end they were together before she disappeared or died, no one really knew. I buried my face in his shoulder, grateful for his comfort, but all the while wishing that he was Nathan.

I don't know when or how, but I woke up on an airplane, sprawled across a couch. I rubbed my eyes like a grouchy child, sitting up to look around. "Mike?" I asked through a yawn.

Michael reached over with a foot and tapped my thigh. "I'm right here, Ceci."

I nodded, laying back down, watching him for a minute. "Where are we?"

"Do you remember the plane that always picks us up to go to one of the safe houses in the South Pacific?"

"Yes, am I on it again?"

"Yep. We're on our way to Spain to pick up Mattie. Then the pilot has instructions to take us somewhere. He won't tell anyone, not even me. Connolly gave him explicit orders not to tell anyone until we were out of Spanish airspace. So, here we sit."

I smiled at him. Sometimes I wondered who the woman was that Michael had lost. She must have been a special woman to be able to pull him out of his moods. And to send him so far into despair on her disappearance that he had contemplated suicide at one point before Nathan had asked that Michael look after me as a personal favor. All Nathan would ever tell me was that she, a Sydney Bristow, was a remarkable person and that I would have liked her. And anything else I wanted to know, I was to ask Mike about.

"Tell me about her, Mike."

"Her?" Michael asked, although I could tell by the immediate sadness in his eyes that he knew just who "she" was.

"Tell me about Sydney. Nathan said to talk to you about her if I wanted to know about her."

Michael turned to the window, looking out to the clouds with painful silence. I got up and sat down next to him, resting my head on his shoulder. "Please, Mike. You know all about my relationship with Nathan. But I know nothing of this woman that you loved so much her disappearance nearly killed you."

Michael ducked his head, pulling my body close to him. It was times like these, that I thought I wasn't just a charge, but also a friend. For a moment, however, I thought he wasn't going to tell me, but then I could hear him start to talk. "Her name was Sydney Bristow. She was in the CIA with me in LA. I'm sure that Nathan has told you about SD-6, right?"

"Yep. Why?"

"When I met her, SD-6 had just murdered her fiancé, Danny Hecht, and she was furious. She agreed to be a double agent, along with her father, Jack Bristow, who had actually been doubling for quite sometime. I was made her handler. After awhile, both of us began to have unprofessional feelings for each other. When we finally took down SD-6, we both acted on those feelings. I was thrilled. We could finally be seen in public together, we could actually date each other. It was a miracle to us both. We were together for six months and then she just disappeared. We all thought she was dead. As far as any of us know, she is dead.

"Her best friend during this time was a woman by the name of Francie Calfo, but a woman had killed Francie and had been doubled to look like her. This woman, an Alison Doren, took Francie's place and when Sydney found out, they fought. We were intending on going to Santa Barbara later that night. I never did find her, and I never went to Santa Barbara. Instead, I left for France, drinking my way around Europe. Nathan and Eric found me nearly 6 months later at a bar and I realized that I wasn't honoring Syd's memory in anyway by attempting to drink myself to death. So when Nathan gave me the charge to protect you, I took it. I would protect you where I couldn't protect Sydney. And the rest as you know is history."

"It's been 2 years, Michael. Have you moved on yet?"

"No, I can't. I don't know how. Sydney is the only woman that I will ever love." He paused, reaching down and rubbing the band around his left ring finger. "And until I can put this ring on her hand, I will not marry anyone."

"Not even that god awful Lauren Reed?"

Michael looked down at me with a cocked eyebrow. "How do you know about Lauren?"

"Nathan told me. Nathan tells me everything, Mike, don't look so shocked." I said, with a flippant wave of my hand. "Don't even look at her again, Mike, I don't trust her."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't trust her. I can't trust her. There's just something about her that doesn't make any sense. She always seems to be in my face."

"Why is she in your face?"

"She always comes to my apartment to check up on me and see if Nathan has contacted me in awhile. She once tried to set me up with her brother after she told me that Nathan didn't want me anymore. Mike, she's not even supposed to know that Nathan is my husband."

Michael shook his head, kissing my forehead with affection. "Really, Ceci, you worry too much. Take a chill pill. There's no reason not to trust her. And it's possible that someone slipped and they told her on accident."

"Mike, this is the CIA. No one ever slips in the CIA."

Michael looked at me for a second, the typical furrows creasing his forehead again. "You've got a point. I was informed recently that there was a mole inside the CIA. No one in the CIA knows that Connolly is married, so why would Lauren know Connolly is married to you?"

"I don't know. I just know I don't trust her."

If it was possible, the furrows in Michael's forehead got deeper. "I'm going to call Langley really quick."

I nodded, looking up at Michael in concern as he left the room. Stopping at the door, he conversed quickly and quietly with Weiss. Weiss stepped into the room, sitting across from me. "Hey, what's up, Wise-man." I teased, altering his last name for my own personal purposes.

"Nothing much, Cecily. How are you?"

"Nathan told me you knew Sydney. Is that true?"

Weiss ducked his head, looking toward the door. "Yeah, that's true."

"What else can you tell me about her?"

Weiss thought for a moment and then smiled. "Besides Mike and your husband, she was the best agent in the field."

I leaned forward. "Really? How did she meet Michael?"

"He was her handler and she was his asset. They fell in love while they were trying to bring down SD-6. After SD-6 was dead, they were together."

"Was she pretty?" I asked innocently, looking up with all my curiosity in my eyes.

"Very pretty. Mike believed that she was the most beautiful woman in the world. And in Syd's eyes, her Vaughn was the only one who mattered."

I nodded, looking out the window. "That sounds like Nathan and me. I'm the most beautiful woman in the world to Nathan, but Nathan is the only opinion that matters."

Weiss nodded, smiling at me as he realized that I understood why Michael was hurting so badly. I looked toward the door, making Weiss fall silent in appreciation of my friendship with Michael. Weiss stayed silent for awhile, before speaking again. "How long has Michael been with you?"

"He's been my bodyguard for almost 2 years. Right after you and Nathan found him, Nathan asked him as a personal favor to look after me and make sure that nothing happened to me."

"I think you've become his best friend since Syd died."

I looked up at him curiously. "Really? You think so?"

"Yeah, I think so. He'll tell you anything he's feeling. But I used to go to college with him and he won't tell me anything anymore."

I nodded. "He won't talk to Nathan either. And I always thought that they were the best of friends."

"They still are. But Mike doesn't talk about the things that bother him with Nathan. He talks about them with you."

I nodded, turning to look out the window. Weiss sat silently, watching me think until he noticed that I was asleep once again. He stood, tucking the blanket around my tiny body and then sitting back in his chair again. Michael came in, muttering under his breath. Weiss looked up, hissing at him. "Dude, be quiet. Your charge is sleeping."

Michael stopped, going over to me and tucking me in again and stroking my hair away from my face. Leaning over, he pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Jack's gonna meet us in Spain." Michael said as he sat down under my head, playing with my hair between his fingers.

"Why is Jack going to meet us in Spain? Cecily isn't the CIA's business."

"No, but his daughter is."

"Sydney? What about Sydney?"

"They've seen her. She's alive."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"She's alive?" Weiss asked, looking at his best friend to see how he was handling all of this.

"Apparently. She contacted Kendall from Hong Kong and Kendall told her to go to Spain and he'd make sure that I met her in the safe house in Madrid."

"You're not CIA, Mike. Neither am I. Remember? We gave it up when Sydney died."

"I know. But I have to meet her."

"Why?"

"She doesn't remember that she's been gone for nearly 2 years. She can't remember anything. All she remembers is that I am her boyfriend and she trusts me."

Weiss gasped, looking at Michael in horror. "She doesn't remember anything?"

"No. But she still loves me. And fortunately, I still love her just as much. I would still do anything to make sure that she's okay. But she doesn't know that I have been dying a little more every day since she left. But that's okay, everything will be better when I see her again, when I hold her in my arms again and when I can finally tell her that I love her."

Weiss reached out, patting his friend's shoulder, being there silently for his friend. I slept for the rest of the flight with my head in Michael's lap. When the plane landed, Michael reached down and shook my shoulder. "Ceci, wake up."

"Mike?" I asked in a quiet voice, rubbing my eyes tiredly. "What's going on?"

"We're here. We're in Spain. We need to get off the plane and get your son."

I nodded, getting up and folding the blanket I'd been using in a typical housewifely manner. Michael smiled. "We have to make a detour when we get back from Nathan's mom's place."

I hummed absently, which Michael took this as an agreement. "Come on, Ceci. We'll be back. Alms and Dixon are waiting for us in the terminal."

I hummed again, following Weiss. Michael's hand was tightly clasped around my wrist, making sure that he didn't leave me behind with his long, confident strides. I had to almost run to keep up. I felt safe while I was in the air and I knew that nothing could hurt me while I was in the sky. But on the ground, you never knew what was going to happen to a person. So I liked to keep close to the three people I knew would protect me with their lives. Michael and Weiss were two of those people. The third was currently waiting for me and our son in a safe house, making plans for us so that we would be safe in the long run. I ducked my head, hiding my face behind the bill of my Oregon Duck baseball cap. All four of the men on my detail were dressed casually, as though they were on their way to a soccer game instead of making sure nothing happened to me. With any luck, no one would know that we were even here. We'd retrieve my son, make Michael's detour and then be back on the plane before anyone even knew what had happened.

We arrived at my son's hideout and I ran inside, heedless of the danger, desperate to see my baby. Michael checked the area as he raced after me. Weiss and Dixon were a little more reserved, Alms staying behind the wheel of the car so that we could make a quick getaway if need be. Michael waved Weiss into the house. "Go get Matthew. I'm gonna stay here. Something doesn't feel right about this. Try to talk Mrs. Connolly into coming with us if you can. Something is going down and I don't want to even think about what that could be."

Weiss nodded, following me into the house. I ran through the house, calling my son's name. "Mattie! Where are you, my darling?"

There was silence and then a sound. A sob. "Mama?" came the teary voice. I followed the voice at a run.

Coming into the boy's nursery, I screamed, my hands flying to my mouth. Mercedes Connolly, my husband's beloved mother, was lying in a heap on the floor, a pool of her blood continuing to grow around her. Weiss came in and immediately snatched up the packed duffel bag on the floor. "Come on, Cecily. Mike knew there was something wrong with this. They got here first. We have to leave her. We'll inform the authorities as soon as we're in the air and you and the boy are safe. Nathan'll understand that there wasn't anything to be done."

I nodded, scooping up my crying Matthew. "All right, Mattie, let's go see Daddy all right? Would you like that?"

Matthew nodded, sucking on his thumb, his face buried in my throat. I followed Weiss from the room, both of us hurrying to get away as we contemplated what could happen next. Michael saw us coming and waved at us. "Come on, you guys, let's go. There's something not right. Where's Mrs. Connolly?"

"She's dead." Weiss answered, just as a hail of bullets came down around our heads.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion after that. I cried out as I watched my best friend get hit in the side with a bullet, falling heavily to the ground. Grabbing Weiss, I pulled him down and out of the way of any stray bullets. "Grab and run."

Weiss looked at me in confusion, before understanding flashed across his face. "All right, get to the car as fast as you can. Do not stop."

I nodded, kissing my son's face. "Mattie, you have to listen to Mama, all right?"

He nodded tearfully, scrubbing at his tearing eyes. "You have to hold onto Mama's neck very tightly. Keep your face buried in my neck and don't let go for anything all right?"

Matthew nodded and I looked at Weiss. "Get Mike to the car and I can take care of him from there."

Weiss nodded and then both of us dashed from our hiding places. Dixon was crouched beside the car, the back door open to allow us easy entry. Alms was shooting from inside the bullet proofed car. I dove into the car, rolling out of the doorway, my son holding tightly to my neck. "Dixon, cover me!" I heard Weiss shout.

I heard a cry, which I assumed was Michael as Weiss hauled him to his feet, forcing him to run for the car. I set Matthew on the floor by the driver's box. "Stay down and be silent, understood?"

Matthew nodded, sucking his thumb balefully. I kissed him again and then covered him with a blanket so that he would be harder to see. I turned back to the door, just as Weiss hauled Michael into the car. Dixon slammed it and dived into the passenger seat. Alms slammed the car into gear and we were gone, leaving the carnage behind. Weiss laid Michael down on the floor, putting pressure on the bullet wound. I reached out, pulling Weiss' hands away. "Look after my son. I've got Mike."

Weiss nodded, moving to pull the crying little boy onto the seat with him, distracting him with funny stories that only Weiss had the strength of mind to remember. Mike groaned as I cut his shirt from his body. "We have to go to the safe house in Madrid." He said, looking past me at Weiss.

I looked up at Weiss, who I noticed was looking seriously at Michael. "All right, man. We will. Cecily'll have to go in. I can't go in; they got a good look at me. They couldn't see Cecily. She was covered with a sweatshirt and a baseball cap with sunglasses."

I looked down as Michael, sighing in relief as I ascertained that the bullet had passed right through and hadn't done any serious damage. "You're gonna be okay. We have to get it bandaged and I'll stitch it when we're in the air and safe. Why do we have to go to the safe house in Madrid?"

"Sydney's alive." Michael whispered before slipping under the power of unconsciousness.

I looked up at Weiss. "Sydney? His Sydney?"

"Yeah, she contacted Kendall from Hong Kong. He told her to go to the safe house in Madrid and he'd send Mike to meet up with her. They have chemistry and Mike is still hopelessly in love with her."

"Will she come with me, do you think?"

"If you mention that you're Nathan's wife, she'll come with you. She met Nathan a couple times and she knows about you."

I nodded, starting to clean out and bandage the bullet wound. Thankfully, Michael stayed blissfully unaware. When we stopped, I looked up at Weiss. "If something goes wrong, you will get Mike and my child out of here. And tell Nathan that I'm sorry and I love him."

Weiss shook his head. "You'll be telling him soon, Cecily, I promise."

I nodded and climbed out of the car, looking up at the huge building in front of me. I went in and looked at the clerk behind the desk. "Sydney Bristow?"

She smiled and led me down the hallway. She stopped in front of the door, unlocking a room. I smiled at the woman, "Muchos gracias." I told her before slipping into the room.

A sobbing woman sat on the bed, crying into her hands. "Agent Bristow?" I asked, hoping that I wouldn't spook her.

Her head snapped up and I smiled sadly as I watched her mouth form one word. "Vaughn."

I came to kneel in front of her. "Ms. Bristow. My name is Cecily Connolly. I'm Nathan Connolly's wife. You need to listen to me carefully and do exactly as I say."

She nodded, looking at the door in hopes that Michael would come through the door. "I have Agent Vaughn with me, as well as Agent Weiss. They're my bodyguards, hired by Nathan after your disappearance to look after me. They're no longer CIA. They're waiting outside, but Vaughn is hurt and we have to get him to the airport so that I can take care of him. Come with me, and you can be with the man you love and the man who loves you again. Can you trust me enough to come with me?"

She looked at me, obviously seeing the honesty and sincerity in my eyes. "I'll go with you."

I nodded, smiling at her, standing again. "Come on. We have to leave now, before they find us again."

She followed me from the room and out to the car. Weiss smiled at Sydney, who returned the smile with a fully dimpled grin. "God, Sydney, it's good to see you."

"Hey Eric, where's Vaughn?"

Weiss' usually happy face turned sorrowful as he gestured toward the open door. "He's inside."

Sydney looked at him and then climbed into the back of the limousine. Weiss helped me in after her and then climbed in at last. I moved forward, past the shell-shocked Sydney to check the bandage that prevented Michael from bleeding to death in front of my eyes. "Mike, wake up. Honey, wake up." I whispered, tucking the blanket tighter around his shivering body. Michael cracked his eyes, looking at me with a kind of detached confusion. I smiled at him sadly, before touching his face. "I brought you someone."

I moved out of the way, giving Michael his first unrestricted view of the woman he thought was dead. He smiled as he saw her. "Syd." He whispered, holding out a hand for her.

Sydney looked at him, moving forward with teary eyes. "Vaughn." She whispered.

Vaughn laughed softly, trying not to jar his side. "Why don't you ever call me Michael?" he teased, and I could sense the familiarity of the situation.

She smiled, reaching out to touch his cheek gently. She whispered her response and I could barely make out the phrase, "I do sometimes."

He looked at her silently, his eyes haunted with pain and regret. Sydney leaned down and when they kissed, it seemed as if all of the puzzle pieces were once again in place. When they broke apart and I saw Michael's eyes once again, I could have sworn I was looking at a completely different Michael Vaughn than I had ever known.

This man was happy. His eyes were sparkling with love for the woman in front of him. I smiled, moving to sit down beside my son. Matthew climbed onto my lap, watching the scene with his thumb firmly in his mouth. "Mama?" he asked in Spanish, his forehead furrowed just like his father's was when he was thinking.

"Yes, Mattie?" I asked, using the same language he had.

"Why is the pretty lady crying?"

I smiled. "Remember when Mama and Papa don't see each other for a long time and then Mama starts to cry when they get to see each other again?"

"Yeah."

"That's why the pretty lady is crying. She and Uncle Michael haven't seen each other in a long time."

"You haven't seen Grandmamma in a long time, but you don't cry when you see her." He said, trying to understand how this kind of crying was different.

"Michael loves the pretty lady very much. Just like Papa loves Mama."

Matthew nodded, watching the couple reunited. Sydney laid a gentle hand on his side, looking at Michael in concern when his head fell back and he winced deeply. "What happened, Vaughn?"

Michael took a deep breathe and looked at me for a moment. "I got shot while extracting Nathan's son from his safe house. It's just a scratch though, I'll be okay. I promise."

Sydney nodded, bending over and pressing a gentle kiss to the place. "You promised me once that you wouldn't get shot again."

"Lot of good that promise did." He teased, laughing softly, despite the pain from the wound.

Weiss looked on, keeping on eye on Michael and the other on me and my sons. Dixon turned to look back at all of us. "Vaughn?"

Michael attempted to twist, but grimaced, falling back the way he was. "Yeah, Dixon?"

"Bristow is on the phone. He's going to meet us on the airplane at the airport."

Vaughn nodded, wearily, closing his eyes as exhaustion began to sweep over his inert form. "All right, tell him we copy and we'll see him aboard the plane."

"And the package?"

"The blackbird is free of her cage and is flying high." Michael answered, looking lovingly at Sydney.

I smiled ducking my head over Matthew's sleeping form. I recognized, even if no one else did, the code that Jonathon AKA "Jack" Bristow had set up with his potential son-in-law. Sydney seemed to realize that Michael was talking about her and leaned in to touch her forehead to his chest. Michael's hand came up unconsciously to play with her brunette hair. Dixon nodded, turning back around and continuing to talk on the cell phone he held to his ear.

Sydney stayed where she was, trying to comprehend everything that was going on. Michael closed his eyes and I watched as her small hands slowly stroked his body until he was asleep. Sydney looked up at me, squinting for a second before recognition crossed her face. "You're Cecily. I recognize you now. You're Nathan's Querida."

"Aye. That I am. I've gotten older since you saw me last. You've been gone for 2 years, Agent Bristow."

Sydney gawked at me. "2 years? I thought that I was only gone for a couple days. I was so confused when I woke up in an alley in Hong Kong. I didn't know where I was or why I was there. I thought maybe I'd been on a mission, but I couldn't remember what that mission might have been. And I knew that Vaughn wouldn't have left me behind, so I called Kendall. He told me to meet up with Vaughn in Madrid at the safe house. I didn't question it, just got on a plane and did as I was told."

I smiled at her. "I understand the compulsion. I should tell you though that Michael is one of my bodyguards and I have no intention of giving him up to the CIA."

Sydney smiled at me, looking at my son. "He's in charge of making sure you stay safe, huh?"

"Yes, he is in charge of my detail and he oversees the people on my son's detail. Which reminds me, Weiss, what happened to them?"

"I'm afraid I don't know the answer to that. But that is a valid question."

"If they'd been at their posts, Mercedes would likely be still alive." I whispered, transferring my attention to the scenery passing by the car.

Weiss wisely stayed silent, with Sydney following our lead. When we arrived at the airport, Alms just drove the car to the portion of the airstrip where our plane sat. A man stood in the door of the plane. I recognized the man at once. He was Nathan's superior and I had met him only once, but that one time was enough to have imprinted him permanently on my brain. His name was Jonathon Donahue Bristow, otherwise known as Jack Bristow, the father of ace agent, Sydney Bristow. The woman in the car with me now.

I looked at her. She was still sitting on the seat next to Michael, paying close attention to his reactions. When the car slammed to a halt, Michael groaned as he was jolted against the seat. Sydney's face immediately showed her concern. "Sydney." I whispered, reaching out to touch her hand.

She looked at me, the tears making ugly track marks across her bruised face. "Your father." Was all I said, pointing out the window and to the man silhouetted by the light from inside the plane.

Weiss got out of the way, opening the door for her. Sydney climbed out of the car, standing silently just outside the door. Jack ran lightly down the stairs, following his daughter's example by standing at the bottom of the stairs. They stood there staring at each other and then she realized who she was looking at. "Daddy!" she cried, racing at top speed toward him.

"Oh my God, Sydney."

I watched from inside the limousine as the two Bristows crashed together, hugging the life out of one another. Weiss climbed back in, easing Michael into a sitting position. Michael's eyes cracked open to look at him. "Weiss?" he murmured, before closing his eyes once again. "Where's Syd? Ceci?"

"Syd's with her father. Ceci's right here. Everyone is safe."

Michael nodded, turning his head to look at me. "Let's get on the plane, okay? We need to get you to Nathan." He murmured again, forcing his eyes to stay open.

I nodded, depositing my son into Dixon's arms. "Get him onto the plane. I'll be right there."

Dixon nodded, lifting my son and carrying him past the reuniting family. I looked at Michael and touched his face in concern. His eyes cracked open and he smiled painfully. "I'm all right. Just help me out of here."

I nodded, slipping one arm under his shoulder, using my body to stabilize the wound on my side. He grimaced in gratitude before starting to climb from the limousine. I passed him out to Weiss, who steadied him until I could join them. Michael stood silently, wordlessly leaning against me when I slipped under his arm. "Come on, Mike. Just take it slowly."

He nodded walking slowly toward the airplane. Weiss slipped out from under Michael, leaving me with the majority of his weight. I stopped for a moment, watching as Weiss pulled out his guns, taking the presence of mind to protect us when Michael and I were vulnerable. I smiled and then continued to help Michael to the plane. I eased him up the stairs, guiding him to a long couch. He sank gratefully into the couch, leaning his head back against the headrest. I reached out, placing a gentle hand on his cheek. "We'll get this looked at after you get some sleep. You can barely keep your eyes open. It's stopped bleeding so heavily, and its only oozing. The bandage is tight and keeping pressure. You'll be fine for a couple hours while you sleep."

Michael nodded, helping me tilt him onto his uninjured side. "Just let me look after you for once, all right?" I questioned, stroking a strand of hair out of his eyes.

Michael nodded again, closing his eyes in exhaustion. I leaned forward, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Sleep well, brother." I whispered, slipping into Michael's native French.

He murmured an incomprehensible reply in French before slipping completely into sleep. I stood, reaching into the compartment over our heads and pulling out a thick flannel. I draped it over him and then turned to tend my son. I gasped as I nearly ran into Sydney and her father. "Mr. Bristow. Sydney." I greeted, quickly recovering my composure.

Jack smiled at me. "I trust you've heard about Nathan?"

"Yes, which is precisely why I'm on a plane headed to only Nathan knows where."

Jack turned to look at Michael. "How is he?"

"He's better than he has been in years."

"Has he talked to you?"

"Of course. But as I've told you before, I'm not at liberty to tell you what he tells me. He's starting to heal. Your daughter's reappearance should help him to heal even faster, although I imagine that there will be some issues which they have to deal with together."

Jack nodded, gesturing to Sydney. "I don't think that the two of you were ever properly introduced. Cecily Ann Connolly, this is my daughter, Sydney Bristow. Sydney, this is Nathan's beloved Querida, Cecily Ann."

I held out a hand to her. "How do you do?"

"I'm so confused. Like why you and Michael seem so close, but I don't remember either of you ever having met before."

I nodded. "Kendall knew this was going to be difficult for you. This is why he sent Michael after you. Mike will explain it all to you when he wakes up. But he needs to rest. He never sleeps; the sleep only gives him nightmares."

Sydney looked horrified by this revelation and I wrapped an arm around her shoulders to steady her, seating her in the chair directly across from Michael. "Just be patient and Michael will talk to you when he wakes up. He won't sleep long. He never does."

Sydney nodded, reaching forward to take his much larger hand in both of her own. "Thank you for looking after him when I obviously could not."

"Don't tell him that I looked after him. He would take that as a personal affront to his job description. See, Nathan asked him to look out for me, but he also asked me to look after him as well. We hated each other at first, couldn't even stand to be in the same room, but then, slowly he became my older brother and I became his best friend. I don't intend to relinquish that place in his heart for awhile. He still needs to heal and I don't know if he can talk about that kind of stuff with you yet. But when he's starting to heal, he'll come to you. But for now, just be patient."

Sydney nodded, bending over to rest her forehead on his hand. "All right. I'll be as patient as I can be."

I smiled at her and then moved toward my son. He was sitting wide eyed, watching the "pretty lady" cry over "Uncle" Michael's body. "Why is she crying, Mama?" Matthew asked in Spanish.

"Uncle Michael is hurting and she wants to be able to fix it. But she can't. She doesn't know how, Mattie." I returned in Spanish, looking down at him with all of the love that I had for him and my family.

Matthew nodded, leaning into me with his middle and index fingers in his mouth, sucking on them loudly. I snuggled him close, praying fervently to God for keeping them safe. I watched Michael sleep, watching to make sure that he wasn't experiencing any discomfiture or pain. Jack sat down on his chair, watching everything. Weiss sat next to me, staying close to me since Michael could not. I leaned against Weiss comfortably, a sleeping Matthew wrapped tightly in my arms. Weiss kissed my forehead. "Get some sleep, Cecily. We'll wake you when Michael wakes up so that you can stitch the wound."

I nodded, making myself comfortable. Soon I was asleep in the warm and protective embrace of Eric Weiss. Sydney sat silently, her attention fixed on Michael and only Michael. Jack fell asleep in his chair but Weiss stayed awake, his attention fixed firmly on Michael and Sydney.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own this. If you recognize this, I didn't create it.

Hey guys. New chapter. Finally. Sorry for the wait. :)

Chapter 3

Nearly two hours later, Michael stirred, his forehead creasing as he started to wake up. His hands came down to push himself up, but he fell forward again as the pain waylaid him once again. "Oh God." He muttered, slipping into his native French, swearing silently as he forced his hurting body to sit up against the back of the seat.

There was immediately a pair of well-remembered hands and a soft voice in his ear. "Easy, Michael, just take it easy. You are gravely injured and all of the moving around that you are doing cannot be helping you any."

"Sydney?" was his first thought as I gently helped him turn over, propped up on a seemingly gigantic mountain of pillows.

"She's safe. She's had a rather trying ordeal and so she's sleeping. Her father is keeping an eye on her."

Michael nodded, dropping his head back as I began to unwrap the bandage. Michael looked down at it, speaking quietly. "How bad is it, Ceci?"

I touched his cheek gently in comfort. "It could have been much worse." I answered, pealing the pad away from the oozing mess. "I'm going to stitch it and then I'm going to give you some morphine so that you can sleep for awhile longer. You need all of the rest you can get so that you can recover properly. Do you want anything to bite on?"

He shook his head side to side in an exaggerated motion. "No. Just stitch it up, Ceci."

I nodded, threading the needle and stitching the wound closed with precision and accuracy. Soon the disgusting looking gash was no more than a red line with at least 4 little black knots symbolizing where the injury had been stitched. As the last knot was tied off, Michael let out the breath he'd been holding during the ordeal. "Thanks Ceci." He murmured.

"You're welcome, Michael. Here's that morphine I promised." I whispered, sticking him in the arm with the hypodermic needle.

I eased the liquid into his arm, watching as the medicine inserted itself into his bloodstream. He closed his eyes and smiled in my general direction. "Where are we going, Ceci?"

"We're going to see Nathan in Nepal. He says that he's made plans for us and our son. You'll be in a hospital soon, with plenty of doctors to take care of you."

Michael shook his head. "No."

I looked at him skeptically before nodding, resting one tiny hand on his forehead. "All right, Mike. I'll arrange for you to be taken care of wherever we end up. I won't leave you behind. I promise."

He smiled contentedly and then allowed the morphine to work its magic. Soon he was breathing the deep rhythm of one who was deeply asleep. I continued to crouch at his side, completely neglecting anyone or anything else. Michael's health was all that mattered to me. He was my husband's best friend. Nothing could happen to him or I wouldn't be able to live with myself. Little did I know that I was being watched.

Michael slept until we touched down in Nepal. After we had been parked for nearly three hours, his eyes fluttered and his body flinched in reaction to a gentle hand on his face. His eyes started to open, but he immediately groaned, snapping them shut again as the light pierced his eyes. "Welcome back to the world Sleeping Ugly." Came the low, cheerful and teasing voice of a Spaniard. And he knew exactly who that Spaniard was. Damn Angelo Connolly to hell for being so cheerful.

"Angel." Michael responded, groaning as he felt quick, diminutive hands check the bandage and then tighten it. "And that had to be Ceci."

"Good guess man. Come on, we gotta get outta here. It's not safe for any of us here." Angelo said, bending over to lift his friend from the couch.

"Where's Syd?"

Angelo rolled his eyes, tucking Michael's lolling head under his chin so that he could better stabilize himself. "Mike, is she all you ever think about? She's fine. She's in the car, waiting for your snoring butt."

Michael laughed lowly at the imagery his friend presented there. He felt the hands from earlier wrap his shivering form in a blanket. His forehead furrowed. He hadn't even been aware that his body was shivering or that he was cold until that moment. "I'm cold, Angel."

"I know man, the fever's got you pretty good. But Cecily told me about the promise she made you. Nathan is going to kick my ass when he finds out, but hey, all in the service of my country, right?"

"Right." Michael answered, yawning and falling asleep once again, his arms dropping to his side in exhaustion.

"Good grief. He's dead weight when he's asleep." He complained, following me from the airplane.

I smiled as I guided Angelo down the stairs, keeping one hand on Michael's head so that he didn't hit anything. Angelo carried him to the car, passing him in to Dixon and Weiss. Sydney stretched him out on the seat, her petite hands framing his face. Angelo passed me into the interior of the car and then followed me in. He moved to the front and then rapped on the window twice sharply. As the car started to get underway, Weiss turned to look at Angelo. "Why didn't Nate come to get us?"

"It was decided that it would be too dangerous for Nathan to venture out until he's been completely remade. He wanted to see Cecily in his original state before they get their makeovers."

Weiss nodded, keeping one eye on Michael and the other on Sydney. Fortunately for him, my brother-in-law was keeping a close eye on me. We drove for nearly an hour and then we pulled up in front of an attractive little villa. Angelo stood, opening the door for me. "Go on, Cecily. He's waiting for you."

Matthew looked up at me as I kissed his forehead. "Be good. I'm going to go find Papa."

He nodded and watched as I climbed from the car. I stood for a moment, watching the house for a moment before taking steps forward. I stopped in my tracks as the door opened. My eyes were glued to the darkness just inside the door and I visibly started as someone materialized from the emptiness.

Suddenly everything seemed to click into place. The puzzle pieces known as Cecily and Nathan suddenly snapped into place. And Nathan and I were on the same wavelength once again. I could feel him again; his fretful thoughts, his covert desires, his almost animal fear in my behalf. I knew, without being able to see the person's face, that the person who had just exited the house was **my **Nathan. "Nathan!" I cried ecstatically, taking off at a full-speed dash.

I laughed with frantic joy as I heard his voice calling my name in return. I knew that voice and I knew that soon, I would be home once again. "Querida!" he shouted, running to meet me.

We crashed together and our lips met harshly. I inhaled him, running my fingers through his hair, pushing my lips to his desperately. His arms wrapped tightly around my waist, pressing my tiny pliant form close to his rock hard torso. I sighed against his lips, feeling for the first time in months, completely safe. Nothing could possibly touch me while I was in Nathan's arms. When we broke away, I held him close, burying my face in his chest and inhaling the familiar scent of him. He mumbled something and I looked up. "What?"

"I said I'm sorry that it's not home."

I buried my face again, speaking into his chest. "Your arms are home, Nathan. As long as I am in your arms, I am home."

Nathan's arms tightened around me, holding me even closer. "I heard about Mike. Is he okay?" he asked, the two of us separating and going toward the car.

"I think that he'll be okay. I got it stitched. The thing to worry about now is the fever. It's running pretty steady at about 103 degrees."

Nathan nodded, reaching to take Michael from Angelo as Angelo passed him from the car. Michael curled reflexively into Nathan's warmth. Nathan looked mildly startled for a moment as Sydney stepped from the car, before his poker face fell back into place. "You have some explaining to do, Querida." He muttered, carrying Michael into the house.

I nodded as I jogged after him, scrambling to keep up with his long, quick strides. "I'll try to explain as much as I can. But I'm afraid there is some that I don't even understand. When Michael is better, I'm sure that we can get the whole story out of him."

Nathan nodded, sharply, maneuvering Michael into a room. I raced ahead, pulling down the cover and letting Nathan lay him down. "Cool water and a pair of my pajama pants, Querida, quickly."

I nodded and ran from the room, watching Angelo and Weiss go in to help Nathan get Michael undressed and comfortable. After I had given Nathan everything he needed, I went into the kitchen. I paused, my eyebrows creasing for a second. Taking three steps backward, I turned my head to see what had originally caught my eye.

Sydney Bristow, the apple of Michael's eye, was staring out the window. I smiled at her. She was by rights, 31 years old. I had been hearing about her since the beginning of my friendship with Michael. But while I could remember the last 2 years of Michael's heartbreak, she couldn't remember anything after her fight with the Francie double, Alison.

I stepped into the room and she whirled, her spy senses kicking into high gear. There was fear and uncertainty in her eyes, but the most prominent look was determination. I held up my hands in surrender. "Hey, Ms. Bristow, it's just me. Cecily. I was just about to make a pot of herbal tea. Would you like some?"

She paused, looking at me uncertainly for awhile before nodding with a small, shy smile. "Yeah, I think that I'd like that. Maybe you could tell me why you and Vaughn are so close."

I nodded with a genuine smile gracing my otherwise worried features. "Yeah, I think that I can do that. I don't know how long Mike's gonna be out, but I'd wager it'll be several hours."

Sydney nodded, following me from the room and into the kitchen. She paused as she saw the bar and I turned with eyebrows raised. "What's wrong, Ms Bristow?"

"First of all, please call me Sydney."

I smiled, nodding my understanding. "All right, if you'll call me Cecily."

Sydney nodded sharply, continuing to stare at the bar. I cocked my head, but remained quiet, knowing that she would talk when she got her words all figured out. "I remember something from before I disappeared. Vaughn used to stay the nights at the house that I shared with Francie, or Alison, or whatever her name was."

I nodded, waiting for her to continue, confused by how the bar had brought this to memory. "Will told me once about the time that he came out of Francie's bedroom and found Vaughn sitting at the bar, reading the newspaper and eating a bowl of cereal."

I smiled, understanding that the bar was simply a happy memory that she was trying to figure out in her head. "I see." I said, putting the pot on and filling it with water.

Moving out of the kitchen, I gestured toward the couch. "Take a seat. The water will take awhile."

Sydney nodded, sitting on the couch and clasping her hands tightly in her lap. I sat in the armchair, watching her for a moment before speaking. "He kept the tickets to Santa Barbara."

She looked up and I could tell that I had hit on a sensitive spot. "He didn't go?"

"Nah. He told Nathan that there wasn't any point. You weren't going to be there and he wanted to show you Santa Barbara. He waited until after the funeral and then disappeared.

"I had only met him once, for maybe two minutes before he disappeared. Nathan always spoke so highly of him."

Sydney looked at me. "What happened after he disappeared?"

My forehead wrinkled for a moment. "I don't know what happened right after he disappeared first hand. That would be a question for either Weiss or Nathan."

"Why did Vaughn become your bodyguard?" Sydney asked.

I smiled just then as the kettle whistled loudly, signaling that the water was done. "Saved by the whistle. Hold on a minute and I'll try to think of a good way to explain that."

Sydney nodded, smiling at me sadly before I left the room. I poured out two cups and then dropped the tea bags in, carrying the steaming mugs into, what I assumed, was the living room. I held one out for Sydney to take, my thoughts far away from where I was. "Well I guess the best thing I can say to your question is that it saved his life."


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own this. If you recognize this, I didn't create it.

Chapter 4

Sydney choked on her tea as I stated this. "It what?"

"Becoming my bodyguard saved Michael Vaughn's life." I answered, placing the appropriate emphasis on the correct words.

Sydney sat back, mulling this over. "Tell me everything."

I nodded, smiling at her. I had been told that I would have liked Sydney Bristow, but I didn't realize how true that would be until this very moment. "When Weiss and my husband found Michael, he was hustling pool tables and drinking his way through Europe. Nathan said he'd never seen Michael in such a state. They dragged him back to LA kicking and screaming the whole way. From what I've been told, Nathan punched Michael across the mouth to knock him out so that they didn't have to listen to him anymore. Weiss and Nathan took him to Weiss' place and Nathan began to duck him in and out of hot water until Michael was sober enough to know where he was. And then Weiss took his turn. As you can imagine, Michael lost his precarious temper and exploded in the middle of Weiss' apartment. If I hadn't been there, I wouldn't have believed it for myself."

Sydney gaped at me as I began to laugh over the visual image of Michael sopping wet and in a puddle on the floor, fuming over the treatment he had been receiving from Nathan and Weiss. I took a sip of my tea, giving her the opportunity to ask any questions she had. She looked up at me with tears in her eyes and then asked, "How old were you?"

I started slightly, not having expected that exact question. "How old was I? Oh, I don't know. I think that I was almost 17. It wasn't that long after the CIA decided that it would be best if I stayed out of harm's way and was given a CIA sanctioned security detail so that their only remaining top agent would stay focused on his job, and not on me, his young and very pregnant girlfriend."

Sydney nodded. "Go on, I'm listening."

I nodded once, my eyes focusing inward to the weeks that I couldn't stand to remember; they were so painful. "They left me alone with him in Weiss' apartment."

Sydney jerked, but could tell that I was no longer sitting across from her. I was in Weiss' apartment almost two years into the past.

Flashback

At first, I didn't know what to do. The man on the bed was still mostly drunk, but Nathan had told me that he was going through de-tox and that I would be fine. Just don't get too close. I had nodded, yielded my forehead to his kiss, and then watched as they left me alone.

Unable to help myself, I approached the door. I brought my hand up and rested it on the door handle, wincing as the rusty knob squeaked in protest. Well, Michael C. Vaughn wasn't a spy for nothing. He was up and off the bed, with his hands tightening around my throat before I could even hazard a scream.

He looked for all the world like he was going to kill me. He wasn't wearing a shirt and the muscles in his biceps rippled as he held me pinned against the door. His jaw was locked in determination, mouth fixed in a firm scowl. His jade green eyes were bloodshot and unfocused, but his hands were tight and getting tighter as the seconds wore on.

I started to see black patches encroaching on my vision, when at last his own vision cleared and became focused. He let go immediately, backing away in horror. I hadn't even realized that my feet were no longer touching the floor and my 5 foot tall, pregnant form crashed to the floor with a loud THUD!

I brought my hands up to my throat, dragging in all of the air I could. When I looked up at him, I saw that he'd staggered back onto the bed and was covering his face with his hands, muttering in disjointed French under his breath.

I cleared my throat, thankful that it was still in working order, before approaching him. Reaching out tentatively, I touched his bare shoulder. "Michel?" I asked in French, thankful that Nathan had paid for tutors to teach me French, Spanish, Russian and Latin.

He just shook his head. I crouched in front of him, resting my hands on his legs quietly, trying to get him to look up at me. "I'm sorry I frightened you." I said again in French, looking up at him.

His words started to slow and then finally trickled to a halt. He brought his face out of his hands and stared at me. "What did you say?"

"I said, I'm sorry that I frightened you like I did. It was stupid. Forgive me?"

"Forgive you! I'm the one who needs to be forgiven. I nearly killed you."

I smiled; the 100 watt smile that my beloved Nathan said could disarm a raging bull with red in its eyes. "But you didn't, so all is forgotten. However, I did frighten you, so I apologize."

He nodded, still staring at me like I was missing a few cans from my six-pack. I reached out, touching his still damp hair. "Can I get you anything to drink?"

"Yeah. A beer." He answered, succinctly.

I smiled, but shook my head. "Nathan said that that was the last thing I was to give you. Weiss even cleared out his fridge. So what else. We've got orange juice, ginger ale or I think Weiss has got some milk in there too."

Michael looked me, fascinated by my calm, despite the bruises that were already starting to form on my throat. "Orange juice would be fine."

I smiled with a sharp nod and then waddled from the room, so that I could fetch him a glass of the soothing liquid. Michael sat for a few minutes and then followed me. "Who are you again?"

"I'm Cecily, Cecily Peters. Nathan is my boyfriend."

"Aren't you a little young for him?" Michael asked as I poured the glass and then set it on the bar in front of him.

"Yeah, I guess. But Nathan is always telling me that love bears no separations."

At this Michael snorted. "Bullshit."

I whirled, shaking a finger under his nose. "You watch your mouth, young man. Or I will wash it out with soap."

Michael looked down at me and started to laugh. To show him that I wasn't joking, I proceeded to do just that. When Michael finally got away from me and the soap, he started to rinse his mouth out. "Ugh!" he groaned, scrubbing his tongue vigorously.

I only smirked, stealing his as yet, untouched orange juice. "I have done that to Nathan many times. And Nathan is nearly twice my size. Do not doubt me when I say I will wash your mouth out, Mr. Vaughn. I am very serious."

He continued to scrub, until he was convinced that the soap taste was gone. "Obviously. So what's the problem with swearing?"

"Profanity is completely unnecessary and my son does not need to be subjected to it so young."

Michael cocked an eyebrow.

End Flashback

I snapped back into reality and the present as I heard Sydney laughing uproariously. "You washed Vaughn's mouth out? With soap? We are talking about the same Vaughn, right? Michael Carter Vaughn?"

"Yes, Michael C. Vaughn. I told him to watch his mouth and he laughed so I proceeded to show him I meant what I said."

"Does he swear anymore?

I shrugged, taking another sip of my tea before meeting her eyes. She started to laugh again as she saw the playful look in my eyes. "If he does, he doesn't do it around me."


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own this. If you recognize this, I didn't create it.

AN: Kindly words for my kindly reviewers.

Genevra: Querida means beloved in Spanish. A Spaniard, Nathan calls his wife his beloved in his native language to remind her of that always. Thank you so much. Sorry it took me so long to update.

Dork47: I love you penname. It's funny. Here's the next chapter. I hope you like it.

Chapter 5

Sydney looked at me, still laughing. Her laughter was so infectious that I joined in. "So why are you so close? I can't imagine that Michael just forgave you."

"He didn't. He hated me for nearly 4 months. He was too busy missing you to realize that the world was passing him by. So I took a frying pan to his head and basically beat all of his emotions out of him. He started to heal, but it wasn't enough to repair all of the damage that your disappearance had caused. And after awhile, it just became normal. If he was hurting or he needed to talk, he'd call and we'd talk. He used to call me Barnett. And I couldn't decide whether to be insulted, since I've heard all about the woman, or flattered, because he thinks I'm that good at just listening. "

I looked up as I felt my husband's presence just then. "Hmm, what can we help you with, Nathan?"

"He's awake. Exhausted, but awake."

I turned to look at Sydney, gauging her reaction to this news. "And?" she asked, apparently expecting more than Nathan was giving.

"He's asking for you, Sydney."

Sydney was up and gone before anyone had even realized she had moved. Nathan chuckled and came over to me. I looked up at him, kissing him sweetly. "I think she can help him heal better than I can."

"Good. Because its time Mike talked about it with someone other than my wife."

I smirked, getting up to go into the kitchen to start dinner. I laughed as I looked over my shoulder. "Jealous?"

"I am jealous of anything that takes my wife's attention away from me."

Just then a sleepy-eyed Matthew came in, dressed in his pajamas and dragging his beloved teddy bear, Tad, behind him, his middle and index fingers once again firmly lodged in his mouth. "Mama?" he asked, coming to stand beside me and tug on the hem of my skirt with his grimy little fingers.

I laughed at Nathan as he gestured sharply, as if to say, _"See what I mean?"_

"Speaking of distracting my attention." I bent down slowly, scooping my son into my arms. "What's wrong baby?"

"Nothing. What's for dinner?" he asked, pecking my cheek quickly, before leaning toward his daddy.

I smiled, handing him to Nathan. "I don't know baby, what do you want for dinner?"

Nathan smirked, his mind playing thousands of lewd thoughts through his head. "I know what I want, but I also know that I am no longer first in your affections."

I laughed gaily, turning away from him. "You're the one who got me pregnant, my love. Now you have to deal with the consequences."

Nathan just laughed, playing with Matthew as I started dinner.

Sydney moved to the room she'd seen Nathan carry Michael. She hesitated for a moment, before knocking softly on the door. "Vaughn?"

"Come on in, Syd." Came the voice that she knew so well.

His green eyes were shining as she entered the room and moved to his side. They stayed on her face as she walked to the side of the bed and climbed onto it next to him. Michael reached out slowly, placing a gentle hand on her bruised face. "Are you okay?"

Sydney smiled. Same old Vaughn. Just as protective as ever, even though he was the one that had been shot and was now lying in bed with a fever of 103F. "I'm fine, Vaughn. Technically, I should be asking you that. How are you feeling?"

"Better, now that you're here."

Sydney nodded, stroking her hands back through his hair. "Tell me it hasn't been two years, Vaughn. Please tell me that you haven't been suffering with the thought that I was dead."

She caught sight of the ring on his left wedding finger. "Tell me you didn't forget about me."

"I can't tell you the lie about it not having been two years and I can't tell you a second lie about how I wasn't suffering over your death. But I can tell you a truth at least. I never forgot about you. Forget about you? How can a man forget his heart? How can a man forget his soul? How can a man forget the air that stirred his lungs for as long as he'd known it? Sydney, how could I forget about you? You were everything. I told you once, when you came walking into my office that first time, I thought you were crazy. But you're not. You're just Sydney. My heart, my soul, everything. I was so in love with you….it nearly killed me when I lost you."

Sydney buried her face in his chest and Michael winced as he wrapped both arms around her gently. "I hadn't forgotten about you, Sydney. You are the only woman that I could ever be with, the only woman that I could ever marry."

Sydney lost her temper then, grabbing his hand, completely oblivious to the immediate exclamation of pain, showing him the ring that graced his left hand. "I'm the only woman you could ever marry?" she cried, "If that's true, then what the hell is this?"

"You're right, Syd, I've been married for 2 years."

Sydney gawked, confused by his sudden turnaround. Michael could see that he had thrown her for a loop and so he reached back, shoving himself as far forward as he could manage. Reaching out tentatively, he rested his hand on her cheek. "I have been married to your memory for two years. I swore when I saw this ring, before you disappeared, that you would be the only woman who would ever be my bride all in white. I was going to propose in Santa Barbara. And when you disappeared, I had it resized. It was my reminder to myself that I had made one mistake when I was with you."

"Only one?" she teased, starting to feel foolish for her anger. Smiling at him, she sat down, pulling him back against her chest, stroking her fingers through his short hair. "And what was that?"

He paused, closing his eyes and just listening to her heart beat. He swore to himself and to God at that moment, he would never take the beating of her heart for granted again. "I never told you how much I loved you."

Sydney's eyes closed and she bowed her head over his, her hands holding him closer….tighter. "How are you feeling?"

"A lot better. I'm glad that you know now. I can sleep easier."

Sydney nodded, brushing his hair from his face and pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead. "Get some sleep, Vaughn. You need all the strength you can get."

Michael shook his head. "I will, but only on one condition."

"And what condition is that?"

Michael looked up at her, suddenly turning from a 38 year old, ex-CIA agent, to a world-weary 8 year old little boy. "Stay with me." Was all he said, the eyes peering out at her filled with so much pain and so much anguish, she could hardly say no.

She smiled sadly, nodding rapidly as she rested her forehead on his temple. "All right, Vaughn. I'll be right here while you sleep and when you wake up again, I'll be right here again. Waiting for you to get better, so that we can start our future together."

Michael nodded, burrowing into her arms, relishing the feel of her arms tightening around him securely. Sydney stroked his hair, listening to his breathing even out and feeling his body start to relax. Just before he fell asleep, she whispered in his ear the one phrase that caused his heart to thrill in his chest. "I love you too, my guardian angel."

I stood at the door, holding the tray of soup and sandwiches for their dinner. I had heard them talking and had hesitated on going in. I smiled, relieved that I had. Things had been said. Promises had been made. Issues had been cleared away. And now all that could remain was the healing process. And the long, tireless path of starting over.


	6. Epilogue

Disclaimer: I don't own this. If you recognize this, I didn't create it.

An: Kindly words for my Kindly Reviewers.

Natalie: I'm glad you like this. I'm think of doing a sequel, just not now. My story, Healer, is taking up all of my excess time. I hope you like this.

Genevra: I hope you like this. It's short and to the point. And if you think I should do a sequel, please let me know. Thanks for reviewing.

Epilogue

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

A pair of strong hands, now graced with a sturdy gold ring, lifted the veil. Vibrant green eyes smiled happily at the face of the woman he loved most in all of the world. Her chocolate orbs gazed up at him with the same love and devotion. Leaning down, their lips met almost reverently. They stood still for a moment, silouhetted against the setting sun, the waves crashing softly against the sand and everything was perfect.

The bride was wearing a calf long white slip dress, her feet bare except for a sparse coating of sand. The groom wore a white tunic and a pair of loose fitting pants, his feet also bare. It was exactly how they'd wanted it and everything was how it should be. Both were happy and they were married.

When Michael and Sydney finally came back to reality, they smiled at each other before turning to face their friends. The priest smiled happily, holding up his hands to silence the cheering crowd. "It is my deepest honor to present to you Mr. and Mrs. Michael Vaughn."

I threw my arms around Nathan, hugging him tightly as Michael and Sydney walked quickly down the aisle. "See, I told you they would find their ways back to one another. They just needed some help on the way."

Nathan looked down at me, our newborn daughter, Esperanza, held in his protective embrace. "Yeah yeah yeah, Querida. Rub it in, why don't you? Could you for once in your life gloat in silence?"

I watched Michael and Sydney leave the aisle and immediately get mobbed by friends. "Why should I?" I asked, looking back up at him with a wide smile. "Why should I remain silent when everything is as it should be?"

Nathan nodded, taking my hand and leading me and Matthew over to the happy couple to congratulate them. 

I stood off to the side, just watching them happily. It had taken them awhile, and they still had some things to work out, but after nearly 2 years of heartbreak and another 2 years of hope and perseverance, Sydney and Michael had made their way down the aisle. And I for one could not be any happier.

For once everything was as it should be.

Michael and Sydney would finally have what they'd always wanted, a New Future.


End file.
